Valen’s Vanity Square

Last month I wrote that I would like my next mobile phone to be a sweet pink one.

I did some research, browsing mobile phones and price tags at different vendors. Saw some of the pink-colored models I had in mind initially, but figured that either they don’t really look nice or are simply ‘too pink’ for me, hehe.

Okay, the simple truth is: I’m so over the age to hold a pink-colored mobile phone…. (This truth was revealed to me by my dear husband. Hmmph!)

Okay, no pink mobile phone for me. Fine. I’ll get other colors then. Perhaps purple, may be brown, or… how about green?

So, again, I went visiting vendors, collecting product leaflets and reading up mobile phone reviews. You see, buying a mobile phone or even computer is not as simple as buying usb flash drives. One needs to do a lot of research to make sure the money is well invested. Right?

So, now I have shorted-listed several potential ones from Sony Ericsson.

K850i
Released last December, this mobile phone comes with a 5-Megapixel camera! That’s as good as a digital camera. Imagine, I no longer need to carry my digital camera everywhere I go just in case I need to take a couple of photos over dinner. And I can instantly post the photos onto my blog even. The price, however, is out of my initial budget - RM1,499. And the design is, hmm, quite boxy. Well, we shall see, we shall see.

K770i
Released a month before K850i, this one comes only with a 3-Megapixel camera. It definitely can’t compete against K850i in terms of photo quality, but overall it received a good review, and it looks so much gorgeous too, isn’t it? There are three colors to choose from - brown, purple and beige. If I remember correctly, it is slimmer than K850i, nice to hold and suitable for ladies. The price quoted to me was RM999, still slightly higher than my original budget of RM700. Not sure if the price would drop further in 2 months’ time.

T650i
This one looks really cool, huh? 3-Megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, plus all the basic functions, including 3G capabilities. Its price should be around RM1,000-1,100.

I also have other options that are well below RM1,000, but they come with only 2-Megapixel camera and may not offer good photo-taking capabilities.

K610i
Not too old a model, released last September. The price should be around RM700-800.

K550i
A 1-year old model, looks nice, no 3G functions though. Priced at RM699 (or lower) - this fits very well into my budget, but usability wise, not so impressive.

Tough choice to make, yeah? Oh well, I still have time to contemplate over the choices available, since I’m still waiting for my pay checks.

Bought another magazine and got another free sachet sample of Lancome’s UV Expert Neuroshield sun protection lotion for face, hehe. And, I’ve bought a bottle of Garnier’s UV Protect Advanced Daily UV blocking Lotion.

(Just a note here before I forget: both the lotions are UV protection lotion, not moisturizer. They are applied on top of your daily moisturizers, and before make-up.)

I wrote about my trial with the Lancome’s sample a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s Garnier’s turn, of course.

Once again, I’m very happy that there is another lotion with a high SPF but is surprisingly lightweight, not at all greasy, and alcohol- and fragrance-free (i.e. suitable for sensitive skin). Although it gives my face some extra shine, my face is actually not oily when I touched it, just slightly sticky. Well, that’s normal. And most importantly, it doesn’t hurt my pocket.

So, let’s make a general comparison between these two and you decide yourself which is your cup of tea, errrr, bottle of lotion, I mean.

Lancome UV Expert Neuroshield, SPF50/PF+++

• Uses the Memoryl filtering system to protect skin against UV rays for 12 hours and offers a reinforced action against UVA, which is the main cause for dark stubborn spots.
• Enriched with Neuroshield System (don’t know what’s inside this secret formula though), which forms an invisible shield to help protect skin from damage by pollution and other environmental stress.
• Price: RM160 (30 ml)

Garnier UV Protect Advanced Daily UV Blocking Lotion, SPF50/PF+++

• Uses Memoryl SX/XL UV filtering system, a Garnier-patented UV filter system (hmm, is that the same with the one in Lancome’s Neuroshield?)
• Contains vitamin E, the anti-oxidant that fights free radicals, helps prevent skin darkening and premature aging.
• Contains hydra-active complex to help nourish and moisturize skin for 12 hours.
• Fragrance-free, alcohol-free
• Price: RM26.90 (30 ml) – The biggest plus point I would say!

To me, I like both of them. I bought Garnier UV Protect because, I’m saying it again, it’s very wallet friendly. And I believe it’s just as good as Lancome’s version. So, for thrift spenders, if you wanna get something that gives you long-hours of sun protection, Garnier is your good bet.

Speaking of Botox, everyone knows that it is a form of cosmetic treatment that makes one look younger. Lines and wrinkles on the forehead, between the eyebrows, and on the bridge of the nose will be smoothened after a Botox injection.

Botox is actually botulinium toxin, a toxin derived from the bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. It is one of the most poisonous occurring substances in the world. That’s why it is used in very minute doses.

Besides its use in the cosmetic arena, do you know that doctors are also using Botox for migraines, as well as a whole lot of other medical conditions involving the human nervous system, such as crossed eyes, uncontrollable blinking, facial spasm, neck pain and excessive sweating? In fact, its effect in softening frown lines was first discovered when it was used to treat eye muscle disorders.

So, don’t think that Botox injection is simply a potion that rich wives use to keep their youthful appearance, it actually contributes a lot to the medical field and helps many patients with neurological disorders.

Apart from golfing, I suppose another exorbitant, but in my opinion is a more interesting and physically challenging, hobby will be horse riding. Put aside the fees of joining an equestrian club and taking up horse-riding lessons, and buying equestrian equipments, horse-riding apparel is also something we cannot dismiss in the expenses involved in this hobby.

Yeah, I’m talking from a women’s point of view, hehe. If we are going to ride a horse, we’d better ride it in the smartest horse-riding outfit we can get. Even the saddles have to look cool. Not only that we want to be a skilled horse rider, we also need to be fashion-conscious one, right, ladies?

Look smart in one of these horse-riding ladies shirts, show coat or show shirt

If you are interested to view more horse-riding apparel and equipment, do check out theequestriancorner.com.

My sister lost 4 kg since I last saw her 3 weeks ago. It looks like her weight loss plan is working.

She is not on diet pills, but a meal replacement drink which she uses to replace her dinner almost every day. On top of that, she cuts down the portion of her breakfast and lunch, and plays badminton once a week. If she perseveres for another month or so, she probably could lose another 4-5 kg and then have the same weight as me (if I don’t gain weight, that is).

Good for her. But now I’m worried for myself. Haha!

I must make sure that, under normal circumstances, my weight will never exceed hers. That means more exercise for me from now onwards, because I’m not a person who likes to skip meals.

Yeah, exercise for a healthy weight and body!

Neck pain, shoulder ache and lower backache have been accompanying me in the recent couple of years. This is a consequence of many factors put together – long hours in front of the computer, the contour of my pillow, and lack of exercise to relax the muscles. It gets worse whenever we stay over at my in-law’s place. The shape of the sofa bed in the guest room is bad for the back; hubby and I can never sleep well there.

I have come to realize how getting a good night sleep on a comfortable bed mattress is so important to our health. Only with a good night rest that our body and mind can rejuvenate to face new challenges the next day. And with a good quality mattress, we will not wake up in the morning moaning in pain and suffering more stress!

When will I be able to sleep on such a comfortable bed?

So, for our new home, I told hubby that we should invest in a good mattress like the memory foam mattress, which is able to ‘remember’ the shape and weight of our body, staying firm where support is needed and soft where comfort is wanted. Ultimately, we want good quality sleep for a healthy body.

Well, I have to bear with the sofa bed for one more night. Tomorrow I will sleep on my own bed. Although it’s not some super high-tech mattress, but it’s still more comfortable (and bigger!) than the sofa bed.